8 Tips To Help You Enjoy The Thanksgiving Day Holiday and Not Pack On The Pounds

Good day everyone!!  Dr. Mike here getting ready for the holiday season just like all of you.

Well, not completely true.  I’ve thought about the holidays but I’m not quite getting ready just yet :)!

I love Thanksgiving!  To me it’s the perfect holiday.  An opportunity to spend time with friends and family over a nice meal without having to worry about gifts.

Turkey Time

However for most of us Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of the EATING SEASON, I mean holiday season.

C’mon you know it’s true.  It’s EATING season.

This is the time of the year that most of us overindulge.  Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s and so on.  Cakes, cookies, alcohol, and elaborate meals.

It’s the time of the year that many people have to loosen their belts because they have added a few extra pounds.

What do you say to us making this year different?  Let’s make a pact to enjoy the holiday season but not add any extra pounds. Deal?

How you ask?

Well let’s start with my Thanksgiving Day survival guide!

Here are my 8 tips to help you enjoy Thanksgiving without packing on the pounds.

1.  Stay Active:  just because it is Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that you need to halt your exercise routine.  In fact it’s even more important for you to exercise on Thanksgiving Day.  It will help you burn more calories.  Get your exercise done early in the day.  That way there are no distractions or excuses.  Go for a walk, hit the gym or heck have a dance party :)!  Anything to get you moving for 30-60 minutes.  My family and I go to Philadelphia for the Thanksgiving Day parade and do a lot of walking.
2. Drink Plenty of Water:   Within ½ hour of waking up in the morning drink a large 16 oz. glass of water.  Then be sure to continue to drink plenty of water leading up to the start of your celebration at 2, 3, 4:00 pm.  Water will help keep you well hydrated, burn more calories and keep you filling more full.  Less room for dessert!
3. Eat Plenty of Protein:  Be sure to eat plenty of protein with breakfast.  Have some eggs, a protein shake, turkey sausage or a handful of nuts.  Protein will help put you in calorie burning mode for the day and will also help you to better regulate your insulin and blood sugars. When the appetizers, Hors d’oeuvres, snacks, etc. start rolling out be sure to start your eating off with some type of protein.
4. Trick Your Brain:  That’s right, play some brain games on yourself.  Simply select a smaller diameter plate and then fill it.  Instead of filling a 12 inch dinner plate select a smaller 9-10 inch salad plate and fill it.  Your brain will be happy that your plate is filled and your waistline will thank you because there will be less calories on your plate.  If you clear your plate and still feel like you want seconds, wait 20 minutes before going back.  This will allow your food to register with your brain.  If you are still hungry then proceed back for seconds and be selective.
5. Make Wise Decisions:  Choices…oh the choices.  Some better than others but I’m sure there is no shortage of choices.  So what should you fill your plate with?  The majority of your plate should consist of veggies, especially greens.  Don’t snub your nose at the brussel sprouts.  They are delicious and nutritious.  After serving up a fair share of veggies then put on your turkey.  Lastly select a starch.  The best starch to select would be a sweet potato.  Try limiting delicious but not so nutritious items like rolls, stuffing, gravy, and white potatoes.  These items are full of calories and starch which will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels and will slowly send you into that Thanksgiving Day “coma”.
6. Limit Alcohol Intake:  Safety first and yes alcohol does have calories.  A few drinks could translate into a few pounds.  So enjoy a drink or two and be sure to space out your consumption.  Have a glass of water in between drinks.  It will help keep you hydrated, full and sober.
7. Slash The Sweets:  Fill up on dinner and restrict your sweets.  Dessert is where damage to the waist line is really vulnerable.  You want to pack on the pounds?  Then make dessert your new best friend.   Combine flour with sugar and voila you have the secret recipe to send your blood sugar and insulin through the roof which will open up the flood gates into your fat cells.  Especially after eating dinner…oh boy look out hips.  Cookies, cakes and pies are a metabolic nightmare.  If you’re going to have dessert do so in moderation.  I know the pies have fruit in them and are thefefore “healthy” but did you see the amount of sugar and flour that went into making that thing !!
8. Get Refocused:  After the whirlwind called Thanksgiving and after waking up from your feast induced “coma” get refocused.  Plan to get back onto your eating and exercise program the very next day.  That’s right!  You enjoyed and now it’s time to get back to your healthy habits.  If you don’t this is how those extra 10 plus pounds sneak up on you year after year.  “It’s the holidays, I’ll eat better and exercise tomorrow.”  And tomorrow never comes…sound familiar?

Well what do you think?  Do the 8 tips I shared with you seem like they have the potential to help you get through Thanksgiving without packing on the pounds?

They aren’t too harsh, right?  There’s room to enjoy the feast without going overboard.

Well I hope you found tremendous value from these tips and that they have served you.

Do me a favor.  I’m sure I missed some other helpful tips so if you think of any hit reply to this email and share your tips with me.  I would love to hear all about your healthy Thanksgiving Day tips.

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Until we chat again remember:  Eat Well, Move Often and Stay Healthy!